London's iconic Tower Bridge got stuck in its open position for the second time in a year due to a technical fault on Monday, leading to road traffic trying to cross the River Thames.
The two sections of the bridge have been pointing skyward since mid-afternoon on Monday, when they had been due to open for a tall wooden ship, the Sailing Vessel Tenacious, according to the bridge's schedule.?
According to The Guardian, the bridge was open to allow a large wooden tall ship to pass through. However, its bascules were unable to close properly and stuck in their raised position from around 3 pm on Monday afternoon. Owing to some ¡°technical failure¡± it got jammed and remained stuck up in the position.
A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation, which manages the bridge, told the BBC on Monday that investigations were taking place but the reason for the fault was unknown. It tweeted,?"Tower Bridge is currently closed to traffic and pedestrians due to technical failure. Please avoid the areas,"?
However, netizens found a way to make jokes and memes on this as well and people got reminding about the nursery rhyme ¡®London Bridge is falling down.?As the photos of the iconic landmark went viral, hashtag #TowerBridge started to dominate trends in the UK.?
Approach roads to the bridge have been shut while repairs are carried out. However, it¡¯s not the first time this has happened. It previously got jammed in August 2020 when a mechanical fault meant it was stuck open for more than an hour.
Since 1976, the bridge's two arms, or bascules, have been operated by engines powered by oil and electricity, replacing the original steam-powered ones that dated back to the 19th century.
London bridge typically is the most famous tourist attraction of the city and people from all across the globe over to visit it.?
In the year 2019, terror returned to the streets of London after two people were killed and several others injured by a knife-wielding convicted murderer.Convicted terrorist Usman Khan, who carried out the deadly rampage, was shot dead by officers after civilians bravely intervened to tackle him on London Bridge.?